Fintech 2025

We are delighted to announce our 9th Annual Afore Consulting FinTech and Regulation conference taking place in Brussels on 4 February 2025.

Our thanks to our speakers, our generous sponsors and of course participants for making this event possible. We are bringing together the policy making community with the expertise of industry to take stock of where we now are and how best to make the right policy choices for the future. This event is timed to coincide with the new European Commission now being in place and the new European Parliament starting work for the current legislative term. Joining us also will be regulators, supervisors and individuals who will share with us a broader international perspective on FinTech developments. FinTech and digital innovation are shaping financial services. Afore Consulting is delighted to be part of this process.

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Speakers

Steven Maijoor

Steven Maijoor

Executive Board Member and Chair of Supervision
Dutch Central Bank
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Steven Maijoor
Executive Board Member and Chair of Supervision
Dutch Central Bank

Steven Maijoor joined the Executive Board of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) on 1 April 2021. As of 1 February 2024 he is also Chair of Supervision. Steven’s remit includes supervision of banks, supervison policy and legal services. Furthermore, he is a member of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Board of Supervisors of the European Banking Authority. He is also a member of the Trustees of the IFRS Foundation.

Before joining DNB’s Executive Board, Steven was Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), from 2011-2021. Between 2004 and 2011 he was a managing director at the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). Prior to that he was Professor (1994-2004) and Dean (2001-2004) at the School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University.

Steven graduated from the University of Groningen with a degree in business economics and obtained a PhD in the same subject from Maastricht University in 1991.

Steven was born in Hong Kong (1964).

Burkhard Balz

Burkhard Balz

Member of the Executive Board
Deutsche Bundesbank
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Burkhard Balz
Member of the Executive Board
Deutsche Bundesbank

Burkhard Balz, born in 1969, has served on the Bundesbank’s Executive Board since September 2018 and is responsible for the Directorates General Payments and Settlement Systems, Cash Management, Digital Euro and International Central Bank Dialogue. He is a member of the Eurosystem High-Level Task Force on central bank digital currency. Mr Balz is also a Member of the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures of the Bank for International Settlements. Since January 2024 he is alternate member of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements.

From 2009 up until joining the Deutsche Bundesbank, Mr Balz was a Member of the European Parliament, where he sat on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and served as the financial policy spokesman of the European People’s Party (EPP) between 2014 and 2018. In his role as a European Parliament rapporteur, Mr Balz presented reports on, inter alia, Latvia’s accession to the euro area, the Solvency II Directive and regulations pertaining to the European Supervisory Authorities and the ECB Banking Supervision. Between 2014 and 2018, he was a member of the EPP Group Bureau. Mr Balz was Chair of the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum from 2014 to 2018, which is composed of financial market stakeholders and high-level representatives of the EU Institutions.

Prior to his membership of the European Parliament, Mr Balz held various positions at Commerzbank AG in Brussels and Hanover, where he most recently headed the department for institutional clients. Mr Balz studied law at the University of Göttingen, Germany, and completed a bank apprenticeship.

Tsvetelina Penkova

Tsvetelina Penkova

MEP
European Parliament
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Tsvetelina Penkova
MEP
European Parliament

Tsvetelina Penkova is a member of the European Parliament and is 1st Vice-Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).

Ms Penkova is also a substitute member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON)  and Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).

She is also a member of the parliamentary delegations Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly  Delegation to the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee

Ms Penkova has a background in investment banking in London and in her former position she handled investments in SMEs across Europe and is familiar with the FinTech space.

She holds a Master’s degree in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford.

José Manuel Campa

José Manuel Campa

Chairperson
European Banking Authority (EBA)
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José Manuel Campa
Chairperson
European Banking Authority (EBA)

José Manuel Campa is the current Chairperson of the European Banking Authority.

After studying law and economics at the University of Oviedo and earning his PhD in economics from Harvard University, Mr. Campa taught finance at New York University and the IESE Business School and consulted for a number of international organisations including the World Bank, the IMF, the Bank for International Settlements and the European Commission.

He then served as the 10th Secretary of State for Economy of the Spanish government and was most recently Director of Regulatory affairs at Santander Bank.

Petra Hielkema

Petra Hielkema

Chairperson
European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), IAIS Fintech Forum
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Petra Hielkema
Chairperson
European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), IAIS Fintech Forum

Petra Hielkema is the Chairperson of EIOPA and has been leading the Authority since September 2021, following her appointment by the European Council on 27 May 2021 after confirmation by the European Parliament on 18 May 2021.

In 2025 Petra is chairing the Joint Committee (the role rotates between the ESA Chairs). In that capacity she is also deputy Vice Chair of the ESRB Steering Committee and the ESRB General Board in 2025. Petra was appointed as Vice Chair of the IAIS Executive Committee in December 2024. Besides that, she is the Champion of the IAIS Fintech Forum.

Prior to this role Petra was Division Director of Insurance Supervision at De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB, the Dutch Central Bank) as well as Alternate Member of the EIOPA Board and Chair of the EIOPA Policy Committee. Petra joined DNB in February 2007 as a policy advisor, contributing to the development of Solvency II. In 2013 she became Head Insurance Policy and in 2015 she was appointed as Head of the DNB Expert Centre for Fit & Proper assessments. In February 2017 Petra started as Director of Payments and Market. Prior to joining the Dutch Central Bank fulfilled several roles working in Central Asia.

Petra has a European Masters in Law & Economics and a Masters in Russian Studies. She is married and proud mother of three children.

Roberto Viola

Roberto Viola

Director General, DG Connect
European Commission
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Roberto Viola
Director General, DG Connect
European Commission

Roberto Viola is Director-General of DG CONNECT (Directorate General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology) at the European Commission. He was the Deputy Director-General of DG CONNECT, European Commission from 2012 to 2015.

Roberto Viola served as Chairman of the European Radio Spectrum Policy group (RSPG) from 2012 to 2013, as Deputy Chairman in 2011 and Chairman in 2010. He was a member of the BEREC Board (Body of European Telecom Regulators), and Chairman of the European Regulatory Group (ERG). He held the position of Secretary General in charge of managing AGCOM, from 2005 to 2012. Prior to this, he served as Director of Regulation Department and Technical Director in AGCOM from 1999 to 2004.

From 1985 to 1999 he served in various positions including Head of Telecommunication and Broadcasting Satellite Services at the European Space Agency (ESA). Roberto Viola holds a Degree in Electronic Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).

Tom Mutton

Tom Mutton

Director responsible for Central Bank Digital Currency
Bank of England
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Tom Mutton
Director responsible for Central Bank Digital Currency
Bank of England

Tom Mutton is the Director responsible for Central Bank Digital Currency at the Bank of England. He took on this position when it was established in January 2021.

His previous roles at the Bank include Director of Fintech, Head of International Policy & Strategy, Head of Division in Prudential Policy and time as a Senior Manager responsible for the supervision of major international firms.

He was educated at the London School of Economics.

Martina Tambucci

Martina Tambucci

Head of International Relations Office
Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa (CONSOB)
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Martina Tambucci
Head of International Relations Office
Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa (CONSOB)

Martina Tambucci is responsible for the International Relations Unit of CONSOB, the Italian Financial Markets Authority.

In this capacity, her main task is to ensure the consistency of the authority’s position in the international fora in which it takes part. She was recently appointed chair of IOSCO Committee 2, on the regulation of secondary markets.

In 2014, under the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, she chaired the Council Working Group in charge of examining the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on financial benchmarks.

She graduated from LUISS University in Rome and holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Derby in the UK.

Christopher Giancarlo

Christopher Giancarlo

Executive Chairman, Digital Dollar Project, Senior Counsel and Co-Chair, Digital Works Practice
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
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Christopher Giancarlo
Executive Chairman, Digital Dollar Project, Senior Counsel and Co-Chair, Digital Works Practice
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Christopher Giancarlo, Executive Chairman, Digital Dollar Project, Senior Counsel and Co-Chair, Digital Works Practice, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Christopher Giancarlo is Senior Counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

Christopher Giancarlo served as the thirteenth Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Considered one of “the most influential individuals in financial regulation”, he also was a member of the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Committee, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the Executive Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

Mr Giancarlo is author of “CryptoDad – The Fight for the Future of Money,” an account of his oversight of the world’s first regulated market for Bitcoin derivatives and the coming digital network transformation of financial services.

He is co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Digital Dollar Project, Senior Counsel to the international law firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and also board director, advisor and angel investor in numerous public and private technology and financial services companies.

Among other recent recognitions, Mr Giancarlo was appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the National Order of Merit by French President Macron in recognition of his expertise in “cryptofinance.”

Elie Beyrouthy

Elie Beyrouthy

Chair of EPIF, Vice President of European Government Affairs
American Express
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Elie Beyrouthy
Chair of EPIF, Vice President of European Government Affairs
American Express

Elie Beyrouthy is the Chair of EPIF. He is the Vice President of European Government Affairs at American Express since June 2017, where he leads the company’s engagement with European Union Institutions and advises senior leaders on EU regulatory and public policy matters. Elie also represents American Express’ interests in several EU trade bodies and professional associations.

Prior to joining American Express, Elie was Director of International Regulatory Affairs at Western Union for 5 years. From 2007 to 2012, Elie held leadership positions at the World Savings Banks Institute and the European Banking Federation.

Elie began his career at the European Commission and the United States Federal District Court of Minnesota. He holds two Masters Degrees in Law from the University of Minnesota and from the Jean Moulin University in Lyon – France.

Nickolas Reinhardt

Nickolas Reinhardt

Director
Afore Consulting
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Nickolas Reinhardt
Director
Afore Consulting

Nickolas Reinhardt is Co-Founder and Director of Afore Consulting, a premier privately-owned European public affairs consultancy in Brussels specialized in EU policy and regulation.

Having worked in Brussels for more than 30 years, he has built up an extensive network in Brussels, key European member states, the UK and the USA. Through the EU-Asia Financial Services Roundtable he maintains good networks in Asia. Nickolas is a vastly experienced and a leading authority on European public policy.

His ability to be a strong advocate with commercially astute and user-friendly advice is based on his knowledge of the industry and strong personal relationships with the key decision-makers in Brussels and many European capitals.

He has an MA in Political Science, Economics and History from the Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany. Nick grew up in a bilingual home in Kiel, Germany with a German father and British mother.

Derville Rowland

Derville Rowland

Deputy Governor
Central Bank of Ireland
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Derville Rowland
Deputy Governor
Central Bank of Ireland

Derville Rowland is Deputy Governor at CBI. Previously, she was Director General (Financial Conduct) at the Central Bank of Ireland with responsibility for consumer protection; securities and markets supervision, enforcement, as well as oversight of anti-money laundering.

She is a member of both the Board of Supervisors and the Management Board of the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA), while she also represents the Central Bank of Ireland on the Board of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and is Vice-chair of IOSCO’s European Regional Committee.

Prior to her appointment as Director General in September 2017, Derville was the Director of Enforcement and Anti-Money Laundering in the Central Bank, where she established and developed the Enforcement and Anti-Money Laundering Directorate.

Derville is a qualified barrister having being called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1996 and subsequently to the Irish Bar in 2003.

Mattias Levin

Mattias Levin

Head of Unit, Digital Finance Unit, DG FISMA
European Commission
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Mattias Levin
Head of Unit, Digital Finance Unit, DG FISMA
European Commission

Mattias Levin is the acting Head of Unit of the Digital Finance Unit of the European Commission’s Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union DG (“FISMA”).

At FISMA, he has previously worked on regulation related to banks, investment firms, conglomerates and financial market infrastructures. Before joining DG FISMA, he was a member of the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA), a think tank attached to the President of the European Commission. Prior to joining the Commission, Mattias was a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

Mattias studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Lund University and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Strasbourg.

Claude Marx

Claude Marx

Director General
Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF)
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Claude Marx
Director General
Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF)

Claude Marx was appointed Director General of the CSSF by the government in February 2016. Claude is also a member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Prior to his nomination as Director General of the CSSF, Claude Marx was the CEO of Lombard International Assurance S.A., the largest unit-linked life insurance company, owned by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities. He was also Chairman of the Board of Lombard Intermediation Services S.A. Claude was with Lombard for 4 years.

Prior to that, Claude worked for HSBC for 17 years, and was Deputy CEO of its Private Banking Division.

At the beginning of his career, Claude worked as a lawyer with a local firm that is now Allen & Overy, as well as Arthur Andersen.

Claude is a lawyer by training, he holds a Master of Laws Degree from the University of Paris and a Master of Laws in International Business Law from the University of London. He was admitted to the Luxembourg bar as Avocat à la Cour in 1990.

He is fluent in English, German, French and Luxembourgish.

Christopher Schmitz

Christopher Schmitz

Partner, EY EMEIA Open Finance & FinTech Leader
EY
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Christopher Schmitz
Partner, EY EMEIA Open Finance & FinTech Leader
EY

Christopher Schmitz has more than 20 years of advisory experience in Financial Services.

As a passionate advisor, he works with start-ups, investors and established clients at positioning the financial services sector within the digital ecosystems of the future. He is founder of the EY Start-Up Academy and mentors start-ups for international accelerator programs.

Prior to joining EY, Christopher worked as a strategic advisor to banks, insurance companies, payments and IT service providers in Germany.

In addition to his role at EY, he is also a Lecturer at the Frankfurt School of Finance.

George Theocharides

George Theocharides

Chairman
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and ESMA Risk Standing Committee
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George Theocharides
Chairman
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and ESMA Risk Standing Committee

Dr. George Theocharides is the Chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). He is also the Chairman of the Risk Standing Committee (RSC). The RSC is part of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the successor of the Committee for Economic and Markets Analysis (CEMA), for which Dr. Theocharides served also as Chairman, between March and December 2022.

He served as CySEC’s Vice Chairman from July 2020 to September 2021 and was previously a CySEC Board member. He has extensive experience working in the wider financial sector. He has held the position of Associate Finance Professor at the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM) and Director of the MSc in Financial Service Programme.

Prior to joining CIIM, he worked as an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Sungkyunkwan University of South Korea from 2006 to 2010. In 2006, he also worked as an International Faculty Fellow at the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In the past, he served as a member of the Interim Board of Bank of Cyprus, Chairman of the Board of the Cyprus Blockchain Technologies Ltd, among others.

Dr. Theocharides obtained his PhD in Finance from the University of Arizona.

Jean-Paul Servais

Jean-Paul Servais

Chair
International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) & Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA)
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Jean-Paul Servais
Chair
International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) & Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA)

Jean-Paul Servais, Chair, International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and Chair of the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA)

Jean-Paul Servais is the Chairman of the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). He is also Chairman of the IOSCO European Regional Committee and he served three successive terms as Vice-Chair of the IOSCO Board between 2016 and 2022 until he was elected Chair of IOSCO Board.

Besides his international responsibilities, Mr Servais is the Chairman of the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). He is a board member of other several international supervisory bodies for the financial sector such as the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB). He is also the chair of the OECD Corporate Governance Committee. He also sits on a number of supervisory colleges that coordinate the cross-border supervision of financial institutions and infrastructures.

Jean-Paul teaches at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, University of Brussels), where he is a part-time professor. He is author or co-author of more than 500 contributions, mostly on European and international systems of financial supervision and regulation issues.

Nikos Papandreou

Nikos Papandreou

MEP
European Parliament
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Nikos Papandreou
MEP
European Parliament

Nikos Papandreou has been Member of European Parliament since May 2023.

He is currently member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Delegation for relations with the United States, and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. Additionally, Mr Papandreou is a substitute for the Committee on Culture and Education.

Previously, Mr Papandreou was an academic lecturer.

He holds a PhD in economics from Princeton University.

Fabian Astic

Fabian Astic

Managing Director & Global Head of Digital Economy
Moody's
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Fabian Astic
Managing Director & Global Head of Digital Economy
Moody's

Fabian Astic serves on Moody’s Ratings Senior Leadership Team as Managing Director and Global Head of Decentralized Finance & Digital Assets, Cyber Credit Risk, and AI Analytics. He leads the group responsible for the rating agency’s preparedness for the digitalization of the global economy, driven by transformative technologies like AI and blockchain. Specific areas of focus for the group include analytics and research, market and policy development, and process, data, and technology.

Prior to his current role, Fabian established and led the group responsible for developing quantitative models and analytical tools used in Moody’s rating process, as well as innovation activities, including advanced capabilities in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Since joining Moody’s in 2006, Fabian has held roles in Credit Policy Research and the Structured Finance Group, analyzing various structured credit products and contributing to rating methodologies.

Fabian holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics with a focus on Mathematical Finance, as well as a Master’s Degree in Mathematics Applied to Economic Sciences and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics and Social Sciences from Université Paris Dauphine. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Science and Executive Engineering from the Ecole des Mines de Paris, where he specialized in Quantitative Finance.

Iota Nassr

Iota Nassr

Senior Policy Advisor at the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Division
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
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Iota Nassr
Senior Policy Advisor at the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Division
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Iota Nassr is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Division of the OECD, where she leads the analysis around Digital Finance for the OECD Committee on Financial Markets.

Some of her recent work includes analysis of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Regulation in Finance; AI and GenAI implications for financial markets; asset tokenisation and DLT-based finance; CBDCs; DeFi and crypto-assets; environmental impact of digital assets; FinTech lending; open banking and open finance; and country studies of national FinTech ecosystems.

Prior to that, she worked on issues related to financial markets, SME financing, insurance intermediation and the accession reviews of new countries to the OECD for the Committee on Financial Markets and the Insurance and Private Pensions Committee. Prior to joining the OECD, Nassr was an Investment Banker, working for the M&A desks of Merrill Lynch and Citigroup in London.

She holds an MBA from ESSEC Grande École and an MSc in Accounting and Finance from Athens University of Economics and Business.

Simonas Krėpšta

Simonas Krėpšta

Board Member
Bank of Lithuania
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Simonas Krėpšta
Board Member
Bank of Lithuania

Simonas Krėpšta is a Member of the Board of Bank of Lithuania in charge of supervision and the Centre for Digital Excellence.

Prior to the current position, he chaired the Economic and Social Policy Group of the presidential office, which coordinates economic, financial, innovation, health and social policy issues. At the Bank of Lithuania, Mr Krėpšta previously held other positions such as Economist at the Financial Stability Division, Head of the Macroprudential Policy Division of the Financial Stability Department and Director of the Financial Stability Department

Verena Ross

Verena Ross

Chairperson
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)
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Verena Ross
Chairperson
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)

Verena Ross is the Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). She took up the role on 1 November 2021 and is responsible for representing the Authority as well as preparing the work of ESMA’s Board of Supervisors (BOS) and chairing the BOS and the Management Board.

Between 2011 and 2021 she was ESMA’s first Executive Director in charge of the day to day running of the organization. Prior to this, Verena held a number of senior posts in the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA), including as Director of the International Division. She was also a member of the FSA’s Executive Committee and the Policy and Risk Committees.

Verena joined the FSA in 1998 to run the Executive Chairman’s office during the regulator’s start-up phase, and was briefly a seconded advisor to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission in 2000. She subsequently held various positions in the Markets Division and was Director of Strategy & Risk Division before becoming Director of the International Division.

Verena is a German national. Following studies in Hamburg, Taipei and London (SOAS) she began her career at the Bank of England in 1994, where she worked as an economist and then banking supervisor.

Maria Luís Albuquerque

Maria Luís Albuquerque

Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union
European Commission
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Maria Luís Albuquerque
Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union
European Commission

Maria Luís Albuquerque is the European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union. She is a highly experienced Portuguese economist and politician, best known for her role as Minister of Finance in Portugal from 2013 to 2015. During her tenure, she played a critical role in managing the country’s financial crisis.

Prior to her position as finance minister, Commissioner Albuquerque held various key positions in the public sector, including as Secretary of State for Treasury.

After leaving politics, she continued her career in the private sector, contributing her expertise in finance and economic policy to international organizations and advisory roles. Her professional experience reflects a deep understanding of fiscal management, economic reform and European financial systems

Raphael Auer

Raphael Auer

Head of the Innovation Hub Eurosystem Centre
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
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Raphael Auer
Head of the Innovation Hub Eurosystem Centre
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

Raphael Auer is Head of the BIS Innovation Hub Eurosystem Centre, which develops technologies to improve the functioning of the global financial system. His work focuses on cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and CBDC. On these topics, he also contributes to BIS policy publications and various international fora, including the G20-CPMI Cross-Border Payments Taskforce.

He has published extensively in the field of international economics, monetary policy and digital currencies. Before taking up his current position, he was Principal Economist in the BIS’s Innovation and Digital Economy unit, and before that, Deputy Head and Economic Advisor of the International Trade and Capital Flows unit at Swiss National Bank, Globalization and Governance Fellow at Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and visiting fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He holds a PhD in economics from MIT and serves as president of the Central Bank Research Association.

Stephen Topliss

Stephen Topliss

Vice President, Marketing Planning, Global Fraud and Identity
LexisNexis Risk Solutions
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Stephen Topliss
Vice President, Marketing Planning, Global Fraud and Identity
LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Dr. Stephen Topliss is a thought leader with 15 years of experience in fraud and digital identity and is a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars. At LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Stephen is responsible for the strategic direction of fraud and identity global markets, driving product strategy and innovation aligned with customers’ current and future needs.

With a global outlook on digital fraud trends, Dr Topliss currently resides in Amsterdam but has spent periods of secondment in Singapore and California.  Dr. Topliss holds a PhD in Space Plasma Physics and is fluent in Dutch and French in addition to his native English.

Sébastien Raspiller

Sébastien Raspiller

Secretary General
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
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Sébastien Raspiller
Secretary General
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)

Sébastien Raspiller was previously head of the Insurance Markets and Products Unit (2009-2012) and of the Corporate Financing Unit at the Directorate General of the Treasury (2012-2013), where he also served as Secretary General of the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring. He was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary in 2013 in charge of Financial Markets and Corporate Financing, and Assistant Secretary in 2018 in charge of the Financial Sector Department .

Sébastien Raspiller joined the AMF on October 16, 2023.

He graduated in 1997 from Ecole Polytechnique.

Tom Duff Gordon

Tom Duff Gordon

Vice President, International Policy
Coinbase
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Tom Duff Gordon
Vice President, International Policy
Coinbase

Tom Duff Gordon is Vice President of International Policy at Coinbase, where he drives the company’s engagement with policymakers in global markets across the UK, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and the MENA region.

Tom previously served as Managing Director at Credit Suisse, Head of Public Policy Europe and UK, where he had responsibility across all areas of regulatory policy and government affairs and chaired the internal global Credit Suisse policy committee, which coordinates positioning on international and cross-border issues. In that capacity, Tom’s areas of focus included EU and UK competitiveness post-Brexit, UK / Swiss trade deal, bank capital reforms, market access and secondary markets, ESG and FinTech. Tom has spoken at many of the key financial services regulatory policy conferences, and also supported Credit Suisse’s most prominent global client relationships with political and regulatory updates. He was on the Board of the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG), the leading, cross-sectoral UK regulatory policy trade association, where he chaired one of the standing committees. For three years he co-chaired the main policy committee for the Association of Financial Markets in Europe (AFME).

Tom holds an MA degree from the University of Oxford. He began his career as a consultant at Accenture.

Bruce Lowthers

Bruce Lowthers

CEO and Executive Director
Paysafe
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Bruce Lowthers
CEO and Executive Director
Paysafe

Bruce Lowthers was named CEO of Paysafe in May 2022 and serves as Executive Director of the Board of Directors. He has helmed the transformation journey of the company in becoming a world-class payments organisation by focusing on operational changes, debt reduction, and establishing a clear vision for growth.

Since joining Paysafe, Bruce has made significant changes including recalibrating the company’s growth strategy; streamlining the organizational structure from five business units into two–Merchant Acquiring and Digital Wallets; and recruiting top talent to drive customer experience, product innovation and a sales-centric culture.  These changes have successfully returned the company to growth.

Beginning his career as a certified public accountant, Bruce exhibited a passion for entrepreneurship, successfully co-founding and leading four start-up companies and two payments industry associations – American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC) and Payments 20 (P20), the global payments body. At eFunds, an electronic payments company, he was responsible for all payment and risk products.

Before joining Paysafe, Bruce spent 15 years at FIS, a Fortune 250 company, where he held various leadership positions responsible for directing and modernizing the company’s Banking, Merchant Solutions, and Payments businesses. He was appointed President, guiding the global $15 billion revenue organization with over 65,000 employees to unprecedented growth by accelerating the speed to market of innovative new products and services, amplifying cross selling opportunities, and enhancing the client experience.

He is a passionate philanthropist, who is deeply involved in the community through his longstanding support of the American Heart Association and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Foundation among many other activities.

Bruce holds a BA in business administration from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell. In recognition of his industry expertise and leadership, he was appointed in 2024 to the board of the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), a leading advocacy and trade association for the payments industry.

 

 

 

Faryar Shirzad

Faryar Shirzad

Chief Policy Officer
Coinbase
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Faryar Shirzad
Chief Policy Officer
Coinbase

Faryar Shirzad is Coinbase’s Chief Policy Officer. Faryar is responsible for leading

Coinbase’s engagement with policymakers around the world. Prior to Coinbase, Faryar was Global co-Head of Government Affairs at Goldman Sachs.

Faryar previously served in a variety of positions in government, including as deputy

national security advisor for international economic affairs for President George W. Bush. In that role, he served as President Bush’s personal representative to the G-8 (the “G-8 Sherpa”). Prior to that, he was assistant secretary for import administration at the US Department of Commerce and international trade counsel to the US Senate Committee on Finance.

Earlier in his career, Faryar practiced law in Washington, DC.

Faryar earned a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, a MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a BS from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Nathaly Rey

Nathaly Rey

Director of Global Regulatory Affairs
Google Cloud
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Nathaly Rey
Director of Global Regulatory Affairs
Google Cloud

Nathaly Rey is a compliance leader with 20 years of industry experience operating at the intersection of law, technology, policy, operational compliance, and risk management.

Currently, she leads Google Cloud’s global regulatory affairs efforts. Her international team drives strategic programs to ensure Google Cloud meets regulatory expectations worldwide.

Before joining Google, Nathaly was the Executive Director of the Spanish Cybersecurity Association (ISMS Forum). She also worked as a legal counsel for several multinational corporations, where she advised on a wide range of privacy and cybersecurity matters. Nathaly holds an LL.M. in IT Law and a Ph.D. in Cloud Computing and Privacy.

Regina Doherty

Regina Doherty

MEP
European Parliament
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Regina Doherty
MEP
European Parliament

Regina Doherty is an MEP since July 2024. She is a Vice-Chair on Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) and is a Member of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee.  She is a substitute in the Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) Committee and if the Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) Committee.

Prior to that, she was the Minister for Employment and Social Protection from 2017 to 2020.

From 2020 to 2024, she was a Senator and the Deputy Leader of the Senate.

She was the Government Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017.

From 2009 to 2024, she was the Fine Gael Public Representative.

Ms Doherty holds a Master’s degree in FinTech and Financial Innovation from the Dublin City University.

William Olgiati

William Olgiati

GM EU/UK Payment Acceptance & Experience
Amazon
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William Olgiati
GM EU/UK Payment Acceptance & Experience
Amazon

William Olgiati leads Payments Acceptance for Amazon the EU/UK. In his role, he owns available payment methods, their customer experience, costs, compliance, as well as new payment methods enablement to generate customer access and engagement on Amazon. William and his team are actively working with the payments supply chain to bring the customers’ needs and merchants’ views to the table, whether it is with partners or banks and regulators, with a goal to increase customers’ choice and trust in Amazon checkout.

Manuel Monteiro

Manuel Monteiro

Director General
Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (CMVM)
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Manuel Monteiro
Director General
Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (CMVM)

Manuel Monteiro is currently and since 2019 Director General at CMVM. Before that he was Coordinator of the Markets Supervisory Departments, and he held management positions on different supervisory departments at CMVM, since 1999.

Between 1996 and 1999 he was advisory of the Finance Secretary of State in subjects related to the reprivatization program and financial system.

He is graduated in Law by the Lisbon Law Classic College of the Lisbon University.

During the years he has maintained periodic cooperation with post-graduation university courses, with lectures related to capital markets. He also has some published texts.

Jonathan May

Jonathan May

CEO
Lloyd’s Europe
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Jonathan May
CEO
Lloyd’s Europe

Jonathan May is currently CEO of Lloyd’s Europe, a member of the LIC Board of Directors and LIC Management Committee. He has played a key role in establishing the foundational strength of Lloyd’s European business. Having begun his career with Ernst & Young, Jonathan joined Lloyd’s in 2006 and has a wealth of experience in leadership roles across Lloyd’s including CFO and COO for the Greater China region, Asia Pacific Regional CFO, Lloyd’s Global CFO and Global COO leading the finance and operations across Lloyd’s international network.

Jurand Drop

Jurand Drop

Undersecretary of State
Ministry of Finance, Poland
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Jurand Drop
Undersecretary of State
Ministry of Finance, Poland

Jurand Drop is Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance in charge of the Departments of Public Debt, Financial Market Development, Value for Money and Accounting as well as the Legal Department. He supervises the Public Finance Discipline Office, the Accounting Standards Committee and the Polish Agency for Audit Oversight. In the past, he has held many leadership positions, including Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Administration and Digitization.

He has extensive experience in European affairs. In Brussels, he worked as a counsellor at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union, and in Directorates-General of the European Commission in positions responsible for policies related to economic reforms of the Member States, and information and communication technologies. He participated, among other projects, in the drafting of the i2010 digital development policy, the Lisbon Strategy, cohesion policy programs and, more recently, in the negotiations of the National Recovery Plan or the European Semester procedure.

Jurand Drop is a graduate of International Economic Relations at the Academy of Economics (now University of Economics) in Cracow. In the past, he taught macroeconomics, mathematical economics and European monetary union at public and private universities.

Coen ter Wal

Coen ter Wal

Head of Technology and Operations
Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME)
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Coen ter Wal
Head of Technology and Operations
Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME)

Coen ter Wal is Head of Technology and Operations at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), which represents the wholesale financial markets in Europe. Coen leads AFME’s technology and operations team, which is responsible for policy work and industry initiatives related to AI, operational resilience, data sharing, scaling of DLT-based capital markets and enhancing operational efficiency. Prior to joining AFME, Coen worked in consulting and as a FinTech policy lead at the Dutch Central Bank (DNB), where among other areas he was responsible for DNB’s position on data sharing in financial markets.

Kris Lovejoy

Kris Lovejoy

Global Practice Leader for Security and Resiliency
Kyndryl
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Kris Lovejoy
Global Practice Leader for Security and Resiliency
Kyndryl

Kris Lovejoy, an internationally recognized leader in the field of cybersecurity and privacy, is the Kyndryl Global Practice Leader for Security and Resiliency.

Kris comes to Kyndryl from EY, one of the world’s leading professional services organizations, where she was the global consulting cybersecurity leader and responsible for the organization’s multi-billion-dollar security practice.

Prior, she was the founder and CEO of BluVector Inc., an AI-powered sense and respond platform that was acquired by Comcast in 2019. Kris was also general manager of IBM’s Security Services division, where she led teams that built end-to-end security programs for IBM’s global clients. She also served as co-chair of IBM’s Women’s Diversity Committee.

Kris holds U.S. and EU patents in areas around Risk Management; named one of “The 10 Most Iconic Leaders in Enterprise Security, 2022” by CIOLook, received the Change-Maker Award by The Cyber Guild, and the Cyber Express named  Kris #4 on “The Top 10 Guardians of Cyberspace for 2022”.

Prior, Kris was named the Consulting Report’s “Top Consulting Leader” for 2021, Consulting Magazine’s “Top Woman Technology Leader” in 2020; and has served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s cybersecurity committee.

James Cunningham

James Cunningham

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Affairs
The Bank of New York Mellon
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James Cunningham
Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Affairs
The Bank of New York Mellon

James Cunningham is a Senior Director within BNY’s global Public Policy & Government Affairs team and has a lead responsibility for BNY positions on European public policy topics.

In his work, he has a specific focus on European regulatory and self-regulatory initiatives relating to capital markets, market infrastructure, digital finance and post-trade services.

He is a member of several regulatory contact groups, including the European Central Bank’s Advisory Group on Market Infrastructures for Securities and Collateral (AMI-SeCo), and the ESMA Post Trading Consultative Working Group. He is also currently co-chair of the AMI-SeCo Securities Group (SEG).

He is an active participant in working groups from several industry associations, including the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and the European Banking Federation (EBF). He is a regular speaker at industry conferences.

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